A Shot in the Arm

The ashtray says You were up all night When you went to bed With your darkest mind Your pillow wept And covered your eyes You finally slept While the sun caught fire

You've changed

We fell in love In the key of C We walked along Down by the sea You followed me down The neck to D And fell again Into the sea You changed Oh, you've changed

Maybe all I need is a shot in the arm Maybe all I need is a shot in the arm Maybe all I need is a shot in the arm Maybe all I need is a shot in the arm Maybe all I need is a shot in the arm Maybe all I need is a shot in the arm Maybe all I need is a shot in the arm Something in my veins

Bloodier than blood Bloodier than blood Bloodier than blood Bloodier than blood

The ashtray says You were up all night When you went to bed With your darkest mind You changed You've changed

voices whine
skyscrapers are scraping together
your voice is smoking
last cigarettes are all you can get
turning your orbit around

our love
our love
our love is all we have
our love
our love is all of God's money
everyone is a burning sun

Airline to Heaven

There's an airline plane Flies to Heaven every day
Past them pearly gates If you want to ride this
train Have your ticket in your hand Before it is too
late. If the world looks wrong And your money's
spent and gone And your friend has turned away
You can get away to Heaven On this aeroplane
Just bow your head and pray.

Them's got ears let them hear Them's got eyes let
them see Turn Your Eyes to the Lord of the skies
Take that airline Plane It will Take You Home again.
Yes, to your home behind the skies.

Well, a lot of people guess Some say no and some
say Yes Will it take some and leave some behind?
But you will surely know When to the airport go To
leave this world behind

Oh, a lot of speakers speak And a lot of preachers
preach When you lay their salary on the line But to
bow your head and pray Is the only earthly way
That you can fly to Heaven on time. That you can
reach Heaven on time.

Your ticket you obtain On this heavenly airline
plane You leave your sins behind You have got to
take this flight Might be daytime, might be night,
But you can't see your way if you're blind

Published by Woody Guthrie Publications, Inc. (BMI)/Warner-Tamerlane Publishing
Corp./Words-Ampersand Music (BMI)/You Want A Piece Of This Music (ASCAP),
administered by Bug Music

Remember the Mountain Bed

Do you still sing of the mountain bed we made of
limbs and leaves: Do you still sigh there near the
sky where the holly berry bleeds: You laughed as I
covered you over with leaves, face, breast, hips
and thighs, You smiled when I said the leaves
were just the color of your eyes.

Rosin smells and turpentine smells from
eucalyptus and pine Bitter tastes of twigs we
chewed where tangled woodvines twine Trees held
us in on all four sides so thick we could not see I
could not see any wrong in you, and you saw none
in me.

Your arm was brown against the ground, your
cheeks part of the sky, As your fingers played with
grassy moss, and limber you did lie: Your stomach
moved beneath your shirt and your knees were in
the air Your feet played games with mountain
roots as you lay thinking there.

Below us the trees grew clumps of trees, raised
families of trees, and they As proud as we tossed
their heads in the wind and flung good seeds
away: The sun was hot and the sun was bright
down in the valley below Where people starved
and hungry for life so empty come and go.

There in the shade and hid from the sun we freed
our minds and learned Our greatest reason for
being here, our bodies moved and burned There
on our mountain bed of leaves we learned life's
reason why The People laugh and love and dream,
they fight, they hate to die.

The smell of your hair I know is still there, if most
of our leaves are blown, Our words still ring in the
brush and the trees where singing seeds are sown
Your shape and form is dim, but plain, there on
our mountain bed I see my life was brightest
where you laughed and laid you head...

I learned the reason why man must work and how
to dream big dreams, To conquer time and space
and fight the rivers and the seas I stand here filled
with my emptiness now and look at city and land
And I know why farms and cities are built by hot,
warm, nervous hands.

I crossed many states just to stand here now, my
face all hot with tears, I crossed city, and valley,
desert, and stream, to bring my body here: My
history and future blaze bright in me and all my joy
and pain Go through my head on our mountain
bed where I smell your hair again.

All this day long I linger here and on in through
the night My greeds, desires, my cravings, hopes,
my dreams inside me fight: My loneliness healed,
my emptiness filled, I walk above all pain Back to
the breast of my woman and child to scatter my
seeds again.

Published by Woody Guthrie Publications, Inc. (BMI)/Warner-Tamerlane Publishing
Corp./Words-Ampersand Music (BMI)/You Want A Piece Of This Music (ASCAP),
administered by Bug Music

Ashes of American Flags

the cash machine
is blue and green
for a hundred in twenties
and a small service fee
I could spend three dollars
and sixty-three cents
on diet coca-cola
and unlit cigarettes

I wonder why
we listen to poets
when nobody gives a fuck
how hot and sorrowful
this machine begs for luck
all my lies are always wishes

I know I would die
if I could come back new

I want a good life
with a nose for things
a fresh wind and bright sky
to enjoy my suffering
a hole without a key
if I break my tongue
speaking of tomorrow
how will it ever come
all my lies are always wishes

I know I would die
if I could come back new

I'm down on my hands and knees
every time the doorbell rings
I shake like a toothache
when I hear myself sing
all my lies are only wishes

I know I would die
if I could come back new

I would like to salute
the ashes of American flags
and all the falling leaves
filling up shopping bags

War On War

it's a war on war
it's a war on war
it's a war on war
it's a war on war
it's a war on war
it's a war on war
it's a war on war
there's a war on
you’re gonna lose
you have to lose
you have to learn how to die

let's watch the miles flying by
let's watch the miles flying by
you are not my typewriter
but you could be my demon
moving forward through flaming doors
you have to lose
you have to learn how to die
if you wanna wanna be alive

o.k.

you have to lose
you have to lose
you have to learn how to die
if you wanna wanna be alive

you have to die
you have to die
you have to learn how to die
if you wanna wanna be alive

Theologians

theologians don’t know nothing
about my soul
about my soul

I’m an ocean
and this emotion
slow motion, slow motion

illiterati lumen fedei
god is with us everyday
that illiterate light
is with us every night

theologians they don’t know nothing
about my soul
oh they don’t know

they thin my heart with little things
and my life with change
in so many ways
I find more missing every day

theologians

I’m going away
where you will look for me
where I’m going you cannot come
no one’s ever gonna take my life from me
I lay it down
a ghost is born
a ghost is born
a ghost is born

I am a notion
I am all emotion
I am a cherry ghost

Instrumental Credits

I'm the Man Who Loves You

all I can see
is black and white
and white and pink
with blades of blue
that lay between
the words I think
on a page
I was meaning
to send to you
I couldn't tell
if it would
bring my heart
the way I wanted
when I started
writing this letter to you
but if I could
you know I would
just hold your hand
and you'd understand
I'm the man who loves you

all I can be
is a busy sea
of spinning wheels
and hands that feel
for stones to throw
and feet that run
but come back home
it makes no difference
ever known
makes no difference
ever known to me
but if I could
you know I would
just hold your hand
and you'd understand
I'm the man who loves you

Poor Places

it’s my father's voice trailing off
sailors sailing off in the morning
for the air conditioned rooms
at the top of the stairs

his jaw's been broken
his bandage is wrapped too tight
his fangs have been pulled
and I really want to see you tonight

there's bourbon on the breath
of the singer you love so much
he takes all his words from the books
you don't read anyway

his jaw's been broken
his bandage is wrapped too tight
his fangs have been pulled
and I really want to see you tonight

someone ties a bow
in my backyard to show me love
my voice is climbing walls
smoking and I want love

my jaw's been broken
my heart is wrapped in ice
my fangs have been pulled
and I really want to see you tonight

it makes no difference to me
how they cried all over overseas
when it's hot in the poor places tonight
I'm not going outside

they cried all over overseas it makes no difference to me
when it's hot in the poor places tonight
I'm not going outside

Spiders (Kidsmoke)

spiders are singing in the salty breeze
spiders are filling out tax returns
spinning out webs of deductions and melodies
on a private beach in Michigan

why can’t we wish their kisses good
why do they miss when their kisses should
fly like winging birds fighting for the keys
on a private beach in Michigan

this recent rash of kidsmoke
all these telescopic poems
it’s good to be alone

why can’t they say what they want
why can’t they just say what they need
come clean, listen and talk
hello private caller
i.d. blocked

the sun will rise, we’ll climb into cars
the future has a valley and a shortcut around
who will wear the crown of drowning award
hold a private light
on the Michigan shore

fool me with a kiss of kidsmoke
from a microscopic home
it’s good to be alone

I’ll be in my bed
you can be the stone
that raises from the dead
and carries us all home

Kingpin

I got the flu and away I flew
N.Y.C.P.D. blue
Dimatap and spinal tap
City maps and hand claps

Statue of Liberty play
It only works once
Don't throw it away

’Cause I wanna be your kingpin
Living in Pekin

Living in

Pekin
Living in

How can I
How can I give my love to you when
I don't know what to do

Monday

Choo-choo Charlie had a plenty good band
But he couldn't understand why no one would go
The World Record Players on a tour of Japan
Charlie's fixing his van with a left arm tan

He said

Monday, I'm all high
Get me out of FLA
In school, yeah
I fooled ya
Now I know I made a mistake
Blister on a turnpike, let me by
I only want to wonder why when I don't die
Oooh, I shot ya, yeah, I know
I only want to go where my wheels roll

Monday, I'm all high
Get me out of FLA
I fooled ya
In school, yeah
Now I know I made a mistake

Everybody's wondering, "Where'd he go?"
He must be down in Pensacola
Hiding from the snow

The World Record Players on a tour of Japan
Charlie's fixing his van
He's waiting for a postcard

And he said
Monday, I'm all high
Get me out of TLA

Well I cut class
In school, yeah
Now I know I made a mistake
I made a big mistake

Outtasite (Outta Mind)

I know we don't talk much
But you're such a good talker
Oh-whoa

Well I know we should take a walk
But you're such a fast walker, oh-whoa,
Well alright

I know where I'll be tonight, alright
Outta mind outta site

Well okay
I know you don't love me
But you'll still be thinking of me, oh-whoa

Well alright
I know you probably hate me
That's okay with me
Alright!

I know where I'll be tonight, alright
Outta mind outta site
Outta mind outta site